In the aftermath of London terror attack

The Romanian Florin Morariu has been hailed on social media as a hero after hitting a terrorist over the head with a crate and then giving 20 terrified people shelter

Florin Morariu

Florin Morariu, a Romanian national who is currently living and working in London, has turned into a hero after trying to stop the terrorists who committed Saturday's attack in the British capital, in which 7 people were killed and dozens wounded. Florin Morariu, whose story has been covered by many British papers, has told Radio Romania how he got to face the terrorists and use a crate to hit one in the head.

Florin Morariu: "It all just happened. I didn't go there to fight with them, I just went out to see what was happening and I took the crate jus as a precaution. When I got there and I found myself in a deadlock, so to say, I had no choice. I said to myself: 'I have to do something about it, because, if I don't fight back, things could turn ugly for me'. I cannot stand and watch when somebody mistreats somebody else, I mean like when somebody is trying to kill a person and I'm just standing there watching like a dog."

Florin Morariu was born in Iasi, in north-eastern Romania, and has been living in England for two years, working as a baker. He was working a night shift when terrorists started stabbing people on the Borough Market. According to our correspondent in London, the area is full of bars and restaurants, always busy with Londoners and tourists. The Romanian was in the bakery shop when he saw people running and screaming. Then he saw a man stabbing somebody. At first he did not know what to do, then he decided to go out and face the stabber, although he was told not to. He used crates to defend himself and to fight back. Then he sheltered 20 people in the bakery.

Prestigious publications covered Florin Morariu's story, including tabloids, and on Monday he was live on BBC. Praised as a hero for the way in which he reacted during Saturday's attack, he is nevertheless disappointed with the authorities, as no-one from the police called him to discuss security. He fears he could be the target of a revenge attack and would like to be given some protection. That is why the Romanian Ambassador to London Dan Mihalache has talked about means of protecting Florin Morariu.

Dan Mihalache: "We are on foreign soil, we have a good police cooperation with Great Britain, also with regard to intelligence sharing, and we will see exactly what he needs. We will draw up a measure plan together with our partners."

Also, Dan Mihalache will call on the Foreign Ministry to propose to Romania's President Klaus Iohannis that Florin Morariu be decorated. In the meantime, the investigation into the London attack continues.